In the present study, the plant extract Melissa officinalis (M. officinalis) was successfully loaded in polymer fibrous materials on the basis of a biodegradable polyester-poly(L-lactide) (PLA) and biocompatible polyether-polyethylene glycol (PEG) by applying the electrospinning method. The optimal process conditions for the preparation of hybrid fibrous materials were found. The extract concentration was varied-0, 5 or 10 wt% in respect of the polymer weight, in order to study its influence on the morphology and the physico-chemical properties of the obtained electrospun materials. All the prepared fibrous mats were composed of defect-free fibers. The mean fiber diameters of the PLA, PLA/M. officinalis (5 wt%) and PLA/M. officinalis (10 wt%) were 1370 ± 220 nm, 1398 ± 233 nm and 1506 ± 242 nm, respectively. The incorporation of the M. officinalis into the fibers resulted in slight increase of the fiber diameters and in increase of the water contact angle values to 133°. The presence of the polyether in the fabricated fibrous material assisted the wetting of the materials imparting them with hydrophilicity (the value of the water contact angle become 0°). Extract-containing fibrous materials displayed strong antioxidant activity as determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate free radical method. The DPPH solution color changed to yellow and the absorbance of the DPPH radical dropped by 88.7% and 91% after being in contact with PLA/M. officinalis and PLA/PEG/M. officinalis mats, respectively. These features revealed the M. officinalis-containing fibrous biomaterials promising candidates for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biomedical use.
Keywords: Melissa officinalis; PEG; PLA; antioxidant activity; electrospinning.